NJ Voters Reject School Spending Increases

School board elections in New Jersey are normally low-turnout affairs where voters accede to higher education spending. But Tuesday’s election results brought a populist revolt…

Republican Governor Chris Christie … urged voters to reject local school budgets in the vast majority of districts where teachers have not agreed to a one-year pay freeze. Predictably, he’s earned the wrath of the New Jersey Education Association and its political allies. But New Jersey voters signaled their support for the Governor by defeating 315 of 537, or 59%, of budgets on the ballot this week.

In a typical year, more than 70% of school budgets are approved; the last time voters rejected a majority was 1976. As remarkable was turnout, which was way up Tuesday, rivaling Presidential elections in some counties.